The Serpent and the Lion
by unicorn-skydancer08
Summary: After vanquishing the White Witch, all seems well in Narnia. But it is not long before a new enemy arises, one that is even more terrifying, more malicious, and far more murderous.
1. Preface: The Calm Before the Storm

**THE SERPENT AND THE LION**

_One of my friends proposed this idea to me. It sounded like a very good idea, and after giving it some thought, I decided to try to make it into a full-fledged story. I like how the first bit turned out; let's hope the rest of the story turns out just as well, if not better. Cookies for those who leave me with a nice, juicy review at the end! _

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Characters (with exceptions) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media**

**Story © unicorn-skydancer08**

_**All rights reserved.**_

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Preface: The Calm Before the Storm**

Ten years had passed since Jadis, the ill-famed White Witch, was defeated by the Pevensie children, through the aid and grace of the almighty Lion, Aslan.

Within those ten years alone, Narnia had flourished resplendently. The four Pevensie children, now renowned as the Four Kings and Queens of the realm, now blossomed into four fine young adults, ruled well together, in harmony and uprightness. They were gracious and kind to everyone and everything, and were dearly loved by all who knew them.

They made good laws, kept the peace in the land, and maintained a civil relationship with their neighboring countries.

King Peter, otherwise known as the High King, who held the uppermost position of his siblings, was as strong and brave as any other man or creature alive. Though he sometimes let his brawn override his brain, and his imperial status take priority over his common sense, he was nonetheless a great leader, and a fierce fighter.

He was especially notorious for his skill with the sword. Precious few people within and outside Narnia could outdo him in combat.

King Edmund was also a master of swordsmanship, and one of those select few able to beat Peter and live to tell about it. Once a traitor to Narnia, Edmund was now among Narnia's most loyal defenders, willing to give his life for his country and his people. Unlike Peter, Edmund was the more quiet, sensitive type, taking time to listen thoroughly to both sides of an affair before coming up with a final decision. He very rarely lost his temper, and he was never too busy to stop whatever he was doing to spend time with his loved ones.

He loved it whenever his sisters, or brother, would come seeking a heart-to-heart talk with him, even if the talk lasted for only a few minutes.

Queen Susan was among the most beautiful women ever to be found in all the land, or in all the lands beyond. With her long, luxurious dark hair that flowed clear down her back, her creamy complexion, and her shining blue-gray eyes that matched the sea, she was about as fair as any girl could get. Yet somehow, she managed to look even prettier with every day. Many a handsome beau came to the Castle Cair Paravel, from far and wide, to seek the young queen's hand in marriage. Though Susan told her siblings she wasn't quite ready to settle down yet, her siblings had a shrewd suspicion that their sister was enjoying the attention from these men more than she let on.

And Queen Lucy, the youngest of the whole royal lot, was like sunshine and fresh air, on the first day of spring. Though she was not as stunning as Susan in her physical appearance, Lucy maintained a different kind of beauty. She had a smile that could melt the heart of an ogre, and a sparkle in her eyes that could easily light up a darkened room.

Unlike the rest of her siblings, who were bold, intrepid, quiet, and reserved, Lucy was a more bubbly, lighthearted, vivacious sort of girl.

She cared very little for makeup and fancy dresses, jewels and trinkets, silks and satins, perfect manners and perfect conduct, and least of all for the stuffy, stifling royal prats she was forced to merge with on an almost daily basis. She would much rather run through a wide field of flowers in her bare feet, with the wind catching her long red-gold hair; or else go for a swim in the Eastern Ocean in her good dress, or dance around a blazing bonfire in the middle of the night with the fauns and dryads of the Western Wood.

Notwithstanding these little discrepancies between the royal foursome, for the most part they got along extremely well, and the Golden Age of Narnia was a very suitable title for that era.

But this time of joy and prosperity was not to last.

For, unknown to the Four Kings and Queens, unknown to all the rest of Narnia, a great evil was stirring. Even after the White Witch, after the countless other foes they had fought and trounced, they were about to face something else…something more ancient, more powerful, and far more terrible than anything they'd ever faced, or could ever imagine.

Like a deadly serpent pending its prey, this particular evil lay in hiding, biding its time, waiting for just the right moment to strike…

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_"In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper."_

**~ Proverbs 23:32 (NIV)**

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TO BE CONTINUED…**


	2. Chapter 1: Line of Reasoning

**THE SERPENT AND THE LION  
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_Gaahh, it's about time this darn thing got updated! I've struggled for over five months, but I finally got something! (Hallelujah!) I hope you like what you read, and if you gotta criticize my story, make sure it's constructive stuff, okay? Thank ye muchly! So, grab yourself some popcorn, along with a six-pack and a couple of ice cream bars, take a seat, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!  
_

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**Characters (with exceptions) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media**

**Story © unicorn-skydancer08**

_**All rights reserved.**_

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Chapter 1: Line of Reasoning  
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"What do you mean, you're not going to the ball? Lucy Pevensie, you can't be serious!"

Lucy sighed. "Susan, please," she said witheringly. "We've been through this a thousand times already. All these fancy dance parties, all these royal coalitions…they're just not for me."

"But you never fail to attend the pagan dances held by the fauns and dryads of the Western Wood, long after dark," Susan pointed out.

"First of all, Susan, they're _not_ pagan dances. They are a celebration of life, and of the change of the seasons. Secondly, with_ those_ dances, it's different. There, I can easily blend in with the rest of the crowd. But with these high-class balls, it's like I'm put on display, and a whole bunch of strange men contend for me, as if I'm some sort of prize."

"But, Lucy, you're one of the Royal Four," Susan argued. "You are part of a noble class. Very few in Narnia rank as high as you. As queen, you have an obligation to attend these important social gatherings. As a woman of high status, you must learn to associate with those also of high status. Furthermore, it is at events like these that you may find a suitable husband."

_Oh, no,_ Lucy thought in dismay, _not_ this _again!_

"I keep telling you," the younger girl said, and it was with utmost effort that she kept her voice steady and her temper in check. "I could care less about those spoiled, stuck-up royal prats."

"Watch your tongue, young lady," Susan warned.

"Don't you understand how I hate being forced into this?" Lucy pressed on. "How can I agree to marry someone I don't even love to begin with?"

"The law says you _must _marry," said Susan tenaciously. "It is your right, not only as a queen, but as a woman."

"As if I didn't already know that," Lucy muttered under her breath.

"If you don't marry," Susan went on, "just what else do you intend to do with yourself?"

"Oh, I don't know," said Lucy, deliberately looking away from her sister. "Maybe I'll run away and live in the woods like a dryad, and get hitched with a faun."

Susan was not amused. "That's not funny, Lucy," she said very sharply. "Don't you dare joke about things like that. You have an image to uphold around here, as we all do."

"Really," Lucy said sardonically. "Well, I'll be sure to keep that little bit of advice in mind."

"Reputations are very important, Lucy Marie Pevensie." Lucy knew from past experience that she was asking for real trouble whenever Susan used her full name, especially in that tone of voice. "What you do now can haunt you the rest of your life." Right at that moment, one of their servants came to them and informed Susan that she was needed elsewhere in the palace. "I'll be right there, Asela," Susan said to the nymph. Turning to her sister one last time, she said in a low voice, "We'll let this go, for now. But don't think this is over between us, little missy, because it isn't—not by a long shot!" With that, the elder queen rose to her feet and swept from the room, billowing her voluminous skirts.

Unable to help herself, Lucy stuck out the tip of her tongue at her sister's retreating back.

Then, when Susan was completely gone, from both sight and sound, Lucy's face fell, and she sighed heavily and dropped her head wearily into her hands.

Why did it always have to be this way?

As much as she loved Susan, as much as she loved her overall family, she resented the way they constantly ordered her around. For as long as she could remember, everyone had always dominated her, always telling her what to do, always making her feel two inches tall. Even now, her siblings continued to stage-manage her life, making her decisions for her, never letting her have any say-so. At least Edmund had grown more considerate of her. At least _he _had mellowed—but Peter and Susan still treated her like a baby.

Being a queen was like being kept on a leash, and Lucy hated that.

For once, just _once_, she wished she had the freedom to do exactly what she wanted, when she wanted, without the need for her siblings' approval.

At the very least, she wished _somebody_ had respect for her own feelings, her own wishes.

* * *

"Come on, Tumnus, what are you waiting for? Just go on and say it, and have done with it!"

"I can't, Terence. If word got out that I'd fallen for Queen Lucy, the Valiant, I'd never hear the end of it."

Susan and Lucy clearly weren't the only ones butting heads that day.

Tumnus and Terence, a faun and a young unicorn turned human, were also currently engaged in a little dispute. Tumnus, the faun who had been Lucy's closest friend for ages, now found himself falling hopelessly in love with the young queen. He couldn't help himself; he loved her as he loved his life, more than his life. He felt he would do anything for her, give up his whole world for her sake. Terence thought if Tumnus cared so much about the girl, it was only fair that he let Lucy know. Tumnus thought otherwise.

"Lucy could never fall for someone like me, anyway," said the faun darkly.

"How do _you _know that?" Terence inquired.

"I just _know, _okay?"

Terence rolled his eyes. "What a bunch of claptrap," the white-haired youth muttered. "Lucy's your friend, mate, isn't she? She's remained by your side all this time, hasn't she?"

"That's just it, Terence. I dare not do anything that will tarnish my special relationship with her. I would rather remain purely friends with her, than live my life without her entirely."

"But, mate," Terence persisted, "surely you and Lucy have learned to trust each other. Surely, by now, you two can be honest with each other."

"How would I be able to say it? You don't just walk up to someone out of the clear blue and tell them, 'Hey, I love you. Will you marry me?'" Tumnus gave out a humorless chuckle, and shook his head, causing his honey-brown curls to bounce jauntily about. "It would sound ludicrous. A faun, loving a queen—it is to laugh! Lucy deserves better than me, far much better."

"What's wrong with you, Tumnus?"

"Just look at me!" Tumnus gestured at himself, indicating his long goat-stag legs, his cloven hooves, and his untamed fur that covered more than half his body, as well as his horns and petal-shaped ears. "I'm a faun, Terence, and a simple one at that. I am not rich, or famous. I have no title, no property, no place of high position. I'm not strong, clever, brave, handsome, or wise. In all essence, I'm a nobody. What do I have to offer Lucy? She's not only beautiful, but someone of very high quality. Everybody looks up to her."

"Why should that stop you? So, the girl's got class. What does that matter?"

"It all matters, Terence. What kind of a future can she expect, with someone like me?"

Without even waiting for Terence to give a reply, Tumnus answered himself: "A very poor one, if not one at all. She'd be sinking below her worth."

Terence's bright sapphire eyes narrowed at that last bit. "That is the _stupidest_ thing I've ever heard you say, Tumnus!" he said, and Tumnus started at the unexpected sharpness of the man's tone. "Are you that pathetically dimwitted?" Terence went on heatedly. "Is Lucy really so shallow as you make her out to be? I thought you knew her better than that!"

Unthinkingly, Tumnus lashed out at his companion.

"Well, what do _you _know about being in love? I've never seen _you _express any desire for anyone. How can_ you_ understand what it's like to feel this way?"

He'd hit a sore spot, and Terence flushed scarlet. For a split second, the young man looked ready to slap Tumnus's face.

But instead, Terence clenched his hands into rock-solid fists, and answered icily, "Oh, now, that's _really _hitting below the belt, mister."

"Why don't you butt out, Terence?" Tumnus demanded. "Just stay out of my business, and mind your own, all right?"

"Okay, fine," Terence snapped, "have it your way. I have far better things to do with my time than stand around listening to all this sappy, lovelorn angst."

With that, he spun around on his heel and marched away in a huff, calling to Tumnus over his shoulder, "Good day!"

"And a bad day to you," Tumnus shot back.

Terence growled something under his breath that sounded very much like "_fauns!_", but it was difficult to be sure. Tumnus watched him for a short time, then roughly flung one end of his green scarf over his shoulder and stormed off in his own direction, bringing his hooves down upon the marble floor with slightly more force than necessary.

The faun simmered for a time, but as he stepped out onto the balcony of the west wing, where he could be alone, and the salty breeze from the sea cooled his face, he felt his temper slowly cool as well. With a great, morose sigh, Tumnus slumped back against the nearest wall, where thick tangles of vines peppered with brightly colored flowers trailed over both sides.

He closed his eyes and raised his hands, letting his face sink into them.

What was wrong with him and Terence?

They had been the absolute best of friends, for the longest time. More than friends, they were brothers. Now, they were constantly at each other's throats; they could hardly get through a single conversation anymore without it turning into an argument. Whatever happened to the good old days, when they would sit down together by the fire and have tea, or when they would dance the summer nights away in the forests, or when Tumnus would play his two-pronged pipe while Terence's haunting voice accompanied the music?

Whatever happened to the times in which Tumnus and Terence would laugh and poke fun at each other, or talk seriously with each other for hours at night while the rest of the Cair slept?

Furthermore, why all this turmoil concerning Lucy? Why was Tumnus suddenly feeling all these strange things for the girl? Why was his heart torn so many different ways?

Why should he be so afraid to confess? Why must this hurt so badly?

Unexpectedly, tears flowed into Tumnus's eyes, and emotion closed his throat.

Hands still over his face, the faun slowly eased himself down to the ground, until he rested on his haunches, and began to weep.

At that same time, Terence was grumbling aloud to himself while he breezed through the Cair's long, winding corridors. "'What do you know about love', indeed!" the young man practically spat, his ice-blue eyes narrowed and glittering. "If that goat-boy knew the half of what I've been through in my life, he'd be singing a different tune!" But just like Tumnus, Terence soon found his anger and resentment dissolving. He began slowing his pace the more the fire in his blood died down, until he stopped altogether and stood perfectly still on the spot.

Sighing heavily himself, Terence put a hand over his eyes and shook his head jadedly from side to side. Now they'd done it, he thought. Why did it always have to turn into a shouting match for him and Tumnus? Why were they bickering so much these days? "I don't believe this," Terence murmured. He thought Tumnus was his friend.

Well, Tumnus certainly wasn't acting like a friend, as of late. And Terence knew, with a twinge of guilt, that he wasn't really being much of a friend himself.

He and Tumnus used to come to each other for advice. They used to have great fun together.

Now, everything was different. Terence couldn't understand why.

Footsteps sounded nearby just then, causing Terence to look up at once.

Had Tumnus come to make amends? Then, listening more carefully, Terence knew it couldn't be the faun, for the faun's hooves made a much heavier sound than that, and the walking pattern differed as well. Sure enough, Lucy appeared from around the corner. The girl didn't notice Terence right away, and almost bumped right into him.

"Oh!" the girl gasped, when she became aware of the unicorn youth's presence. "Oh, I'm sorry, Terence."

"That's all right," said Terence mildly, "no harm done." Placing his hands on his lean hips, as he often did when conversing with someone, he asked casually, "What's up, Lucy?"

Lucy's bright brown eyes immediately clouded over. "Oh, it's Susan!"

"What about Susan?"

"I just wish I could get away from her!"

This took Terence somewhat by surprise. "Why?" he questioned. "What has Susan done to you?"

"She's always all over me," said Lucy petulantly. "She's always going around, telling me what to do, how to live my life the way _she _sees fit. She's working out my life to fit _her _standards. She never asks me what _I_ want, how _I _feel. It's the same with Peter. Both of them treat me as if I'm still a baby. For that matter, practically _everyone_ treats me that way. Well, I hate it, Terence!"

Terence was stunned to hear Lucy talk this way. Normally, she was very sweet and soft-spoken; therefore, it was a wonder to see her so roused.

And Lucy was far from finished. "Everyone in the Cair seems to think I'm incapable of deciding for myself," she went on. "I'm sick to death of all the endless nagging and pestering; I'm fed up with constantly hearing 'do this, do that' every time I turn around. For the love of Aslan, I can hardly so much as take a breath without someone disapproving!"

"Lucy—" Terence began, but Lucy unthinkingly cut him off.

"No one listens to me, or understands me. Even those outside the Cair don't understand me. People see me only for the crown on my brow; they see me as a beautiful, perfect, well brought-up girl who has never so much as broken a nail. They don't appreciate me for who I truly am. As if that weren't enough, now all these nauseating royal prigs are swarming in on me, from every corner of the land, all of them wanting me for their bride. They act like dogs fighting over a scrap of meat, and I am the meat. Worst of all, Susan is forcing me to go through with this!"

"Lucy," Terence tried again, but she wasn't listening.

"I wish they would leave me alone!" she said, her voice rising significantly in volume and passion. "More than anything, I wish all of them—especially Susan—would just go away!"

Terence reached out to lay a calming hand on Lucy's shoulder, but her anger and frustration had come to the boiling point, and she turned away from him and flounced off, struggling vainly to hold back tears. Terence called for the girl to return, but that only resulted in Lucy gathering up the hem of her dress and breaking into a full run.

Within seconds, she was out of sight.

Terence stayed where he was for a time, then his face fell and he sighed again. He shook his head once more, swaying his long white bangs to and fro.

First, the squabble with Tumnus…and now this. It seemed everyone in the Cair was in a sour mood today.

"What else could possibly go wrong?" Terence wondered grimly.

* * *

Meanwhile, far outside the Cair, unbeknownst to anyone, a dark figure was moving slowly and steadily through the backwoods, gliding sinuously from tree to tree like a snake. The figure kept mostly to the shadows as he wove his way, and he moved over the forest floor as silently as a ghost. You could tell easily that this person was one who knew how to be stealthy.

Presently, he stopped for a short time at the crest of a small hill, which enabled a suitable view of Narnia. In the distance, he could see Cair Paravel, shining like a jewel at the border of the sea. His thin black lips slowly curled into a smile as he regarded the castle. It was not a pleasant smile at all; it was a smile to stop the heart and chill the bone marrow, a smile that boded evil. "Well, well," he said, in a voice that would have frozen those who heard it in terror, "isn't that a pretty picture? A fine pearl, just waiting to be snatched out of the oyster."

Out of nowhere, a beautiful butterfly with magnificent gold and blue wings emerged, and lit close to his foot.

Without remorse, he lifted his foot and crushed the poor, tiny thing into a pulp.

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_"When wickedness comes, so does contempt, and with shame comes disgrace."_

**~ Proverbs 18:3 (NIV)**

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TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Chapter 2: A Temporary Truce

**THE SERPENT AND THE LION**

_I swear, when it comes to this story, even a snail race is faster. Oh, well, at least I got a new chapter up, and I should be happy for that. Hopefully you're happy, too. All I can say is the updates will come when they come.  
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**Characters (with exceptions) © C.S. Lewis and Disney/Walden Media**

**Story © unicorn-skydancer08**

_**All rights reserved.**_

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**Chapter 2: A Temporary Truce  
**

That same day, after Lucy had some time to cool down, she felt very ashamed for lashing out at Terence. He hadn't done anything wrong, and she knew she'd had no excuse to treat him the way she did. So she sought the youth out, hoping and praying that, somehow, he could forgive her. Fortunately, it didn't take long to find him. He was in his private chambers, reclining on the chaise lounge at the far end, practicing his flute that Tumnus had taught him to play. It wasn't quite like Tumnus's flute; it was a singular piece, made from different wood, but it still produced a lovely, haunting melody that sent shivers down Lucy's spine.

Terence, immersed in his music, didn't notice Lucy right away, but when he finally saw her, he ceased to play at once.

"Hi, Lucy," he said, slowly sitting upright. "What can I do for you?"

"Can I talk to you, Terence?" Lucy asked tentatively, wringing her hands, as she often did when she was nervous or worried.

"Sure." Terence promptly slid over to the side to make room, and Lucy took a seat next to him. "Are you all right?" he asked when she was properly seated. "Is everything all right?"

Hearing his gentle concern for her twisted like a knife in Lucy's heart. She bowed her head in shame. "I'm sorry," she didn't hesitate to say, her voice almost inaudible.

"What?"

Lifting her contrite gaze to his face, Lucy repeated, "I'm sorry, Terence. I'm sorry I…yelled at you earlier."

"Oh," said Terence softly, but Lucy could tell he wasn't angry, and this ignited a spark of hope.

"I didn't mean to," she said earnestly, "honestly, I didn't. I was just upset. I was down to my last nerve with Susan and everybody…and somehow I lost it."

"That's all right," said Terence mildly, "I understand. I can't very well say I haven't had a few angry episodes myself. I likely would have acted the same way had I been in your position."

"But no matter how angry I was, I'd had no right to take it out on you. I truly am sorry, Terence. Will you forgive me?"

Terence smiled at the girl and didn't hesitate to answer. "I already have, before you even asked."

Lucy smiled herself, feeling warm waves of relief wash through her. She leaned over to hug her dear friend, and Terence readily enfolded her in his sturdy arms, kissing her tenderly on the top of her head. "Thank you, Terence," Lucy whispered fervently into his shoulder. "Thank you." They remained that way for a time, and then they very slowly drew apart, Terence's large hands sliding ever so lightly along Lucy's thin shoulders and forearms as they did so.

"You're such a good friend," Lucy informed him as she touched his cheek briefly.

"Hey," he grinned, "it takes a lot more than _that_ to get rid of me." Then he sobered. "I take it you really are having it rough these days."

Now Lucy sighed and leaned forward, covering her face with both hands. "You don't know the half of it," she groaned into her palms. "Sometimes I wish I never was queen to begin with."

Terence's heart brimmed with pity. He understood what the girl was going through, more so than she or anyone realized.

"I can't stand being treated like a puppet on strings," Lucy continued, keeping her head down, "with Susan and Peter and all these strange men picking at the strings. You don't know what it's like, Terence, never having the liberty to make your own choices. I wish, for once, I could do what _I_ want to do, rather than what someone else wants me to do. Sometimes…sometimes I feel more like a prisoner than a queen."

She felt Terence's arm slide benevolently across her shoulders, but she refused to look up.

At a loss for words, Terence just sat quietly with the girl, keeping his arm wrapped around her, his fingers toying idly with her silken hair.

Presently, hoofbeats sounded nearby, and Terence and Lucy raised their heads in time to see Tumnus come in. Upon sight of his two friends, Tumnus stopped dead in his tracks. The faun felt the blood drain from his face, and his posture stiffened. Abruptly, and somewhat to Terence's surprise, Lucy jumped up, saying, "Well, Terence, that is all I really came for, so I guess I'll take my leave now. Goodbye." Terence noticed she intentionally avoided eye contact with Tumnus, and the girl fairly bolted from the room, as if anxious to get as far away as possible, as quickly as possible. The moment she was gone, Tumnus rounded on Terence.

"Terence—what in the Lion's name do you think you're doing?" the faun hissed. "You didn't just—_oh, no, you didn't!_"

"Oh, blow it out your ear, Tumnus," said Terence impatiently, knowing what his mate was thinking. The young man stood up as well and started to turn away, but Tumnus caught him fast by the elbow.

"I swear to you," Tumnus said vehemently, "if you told Lucy, I'll…I'll…" He faltered, obviously unable to come up with a powerful enough threat.

"Ease off," Terence rejoined as he jerked his arm free. "I never told Lucy a word. You don't think I'd blab your precious secret, do you?"

"You solemnly swear you didn't?"

Terence made a sign over his chest and answered sardonically, "Cross my heart."

Tumnus dared to breathe once more, though his posture remained taut. "Well, then," he said tersely, "explain to me why Lucy took off the way she did."

"How in the world should I know?" Terence shot back. "I can't read people's minds, you know."

"What was she doing in here with you in the first place, anyway?"

"She needed someone to talk to, that's what. Is that a crime?" Turning his back on Tumnus once more, Terence went on brusquely, "And if you're just here to yell at me again, get out."

At once Tumnus regretted snapping at his mate. What was he doing? What was the matter with him? He'd come to make peace with Terence, and here they were, already arguing again—after only five seconds!

"Terence, wait," the faun said as the young man began to walk away, speaking much more softly and gently this time. "I'm sorry."

Hearing the apology in the faun's tone, Terence halted at once. "What?" he said, casting a somewhat bewildered glance over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Tumnus repeated solemnly. "I didn't mean to stir up another fight. I only came here to apologize for…for what happened today, between you and me."

He looked and sounded like he meant it, and Terence felt his annoyance with the faun drain away on the spot. He even felt guilty, and a bit foolish, for being cross with his friend to begin with.

"I'm sorry, too, mate," he said meekly, turning around all the way so that he was facing Tumnus properly.

"I had no right to treat you the way I did. I'm sorry I ever said those…those things." Tumnus half-swallowed the words.

"Well," said Terence, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously, "I can't say I was any better off myself."

"Will you forgive me?"

Terence nodded. "If you will forgive me."

A weak smile graced Tumnus's lips. "We're still brothers…right?" he asked, somewhat hopefully.

"Of course." Terence smiled himself, just the way he had with Lucy. "Nothing changes the fact that we're brothers."

Tumnus sighed, in what could only be described as great relief. He and Terence promptly moved in closer to one another and they hugged, for the first time in ages. "Thanks, mate," Tumnus mumbled fervently into Terence's neck. Terence said nothing, but his arms tightened their grip significantly and his forehead came to rest on Tumnus's shoulder, so that Tumnus felt the gentle tickle of the young man's silky bangs.

When at last they let each other go, Tumnus said again, "Thank you, Terence. I—I really do hate to fight with you."

"Same here," the youth replied. "I don't even know how things got to be as crazy as they are now."

His guess was as good as Tumnus's. "For that matter," the faun said, "I don't understand why I'm feeling so strange around Lucy these days, why everything is suddenly so confusing."

"What _I_ don't understand is why you simply don't come out and tell her how you feel. If you truly love her, and want to stay with her, what harm could there be in telling her so?"

Tumnus sighed, but he didn't flare up this time. He sank down, somewhat wearily, onto the edge of the chaise lounge. With his elbows resting against his furry haunches, he buried his face in his hands.

"I know you're right," Terence heard him say in a muffled voice. "I'm just…" The faun faltered for a time before confessing, "I'm just afraid."

"Afraid that Lucy won't love you back?" Terence estimated. "That she'll reject you?"

"Yes," was the only appropriate response Tumnus could think of.

Terence stood still and looked at the faun for a moment, then slowly edged in closer. Tumnus didn't look up as Terence settled next to him, only sank his head further into his hands.

At length, Terence said softly, "Well, mate, all I can say is that you'll never truly know, unless you tell her. You're only torturing yourself by keeping your silence."

Now Tumnus did open his eyes and lift his head. His expression was one of utmost distress, and his voice was scarcely audible as he protested, "But I _can't_ tell her, Terence. Not now. It's too soon. I—I'm just not ready."

It was now Terence's turn to sigh, and the boy dragged a hand wearily over his face, flattening his features and pulling on his thick beard. In his mind, he said, _Why must you be so infernally difficult about this, Tumnus?_ But he repressed the words, not wanting to wage another quarrel. Instead, he said, "Well, then, you do what you feel is right, Tumnus. If this is the way it's going to be between you and Lucy, so be it. I won't meddle in your affairs."

"That's all I ask of you." Placing one hand against Terence's shoulder, Tumnus asked, "Truce?"

Terence nodded and clasped the faun's shoulder in return. "Truce."

* * *

_"It is to one's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel."_

**~ Proverbs 20:3 (NIV)**

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


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